Former EA boss Peter Moore has defended FIFA's Ultimate Team mode.
FIFA 21
The executive has opened up about the franchise's loot boxes - which are the subject of an ongoing lawsuit - and insisted they use a "surprise and delight" tactic which isn't close to actual gambling.
He told GI.biz: "You're always getting something. It's not like you opened it and there's no players in there.
"This is a personal view, but the concept of surprise and delight vs. gambling ... on a continuum, they're a long way from each other.
"You buy or grind your way up to getting a gold pack, you open it up, and you're either happy or you think it's a crappy pack.
"I don't see that as gambling, per se - but again, this is my personal view as an outsider right now."
However, Moore - who is a board member at Nifty Games after a spell with Liverpool FC - acknowledged the controversy, but praises EA for its handling of such issues, such as with 'Star Wars: Battlefront II'.
He added: "I get the scrutiny, I understand outside of sports that loot boxes - again, another EA title in particular - get a lot of scrutiny and criticism. EA pulled back on that.
"One thing they're always good at is getting feedback and realizing 'You know what, probably shouldn't have done that' or 'That was the wrong decision, it wasn't gamer-first,' and then pulling back and making a different decision."
In 2020, a class-action lawsuit was filed in California claiming the Ultimate Team mode violates the state's anti-gambling statute.
In the past, EA has commented on the issue of loot boxes.
Regarding 'Star Wars: Battlefront II', the company previously said: "Creating a fair and fun game experience is of critical importance to EA. The crate mechanics of 'Star Wars Battlefront II' are not gambling.
"A player’s ability to succeed in the game is not dependent on purchasing crates. Players can also earn crates through playing the game and not spending any money at all.
"Once obtained, players are always guaranteed to receive content that can be used in game."